Microphone pods are known in the art and are used in videoconferencing and other applications. Commercially available examples of prior art microphone pods are used with VSX videoconferencing systems from Polycom, Inc., the assignee of the present disclosure.
One such prior art microphone pod 10 is illustrated in a plan view of FIG. 1. The pod 10 has three microphones 12A-C housed in a body 14. Such a microphone pod 10 can be used in audio and video conferences. In situations where there are many participants or a large conference, multiple pods are used together because it is preferred that the participants be no more than about 3 to 4 feet away from a microphone.
Videoconferencing is preferably operated in stereo so that sources of sound (e.g., participants) during the conference will match the location of those sources captured by the camera of a videoconferencing system. However, the prior art pod 10 has historically been operated for mono input of a videoconferencing system. For example, the pod 10 is positioned on a table where the videoconference is being held, and the microphones 12A-C pickup sound from the various sound sources around the pod 10. Then, the sound obtained by the microphones 12A-C is combined together and used as mono input to other parts of the videoconferencing system.
Therefore, what is needed is a cluster of microphones that can be used for stereo input of a videoconferencing system. The subject matter of the present disclosure is directed to overcoming, or at least reducing the effects of, one or more of the problems set forth above.